Digital Commons Network^™

Weaving An Impactful Network, Anne E. Summers, Linda Honold

The Foundation Review

· The Brico Fund set out to test a common nonprofit theory of change: individual outputs lead to outcomes, leading to systems change. An alternate theory is that systems change happens through collective and strategic action of many organizations working together toward a common goal.

· This case study examines the implementation of this theory and describes the companion development of systems, structures, tools, and processes created in a cross-sector network of nonprofits. The evolution of Brico’s funding strategy is juxtaposed with the development of the network, revealing a unique funder/organization symbiosis, relying on each to provide expertise, thus fostering …

Editorial, Teresa R. Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Measuring Dimensions Of Network Functioning: The Knowhow2go Network Survey, Tania Jarosewich, Nushina Mir, Linda Simkin

The Foundation Review

· As foundations more often encourage networks and other interorganizational strategies, they need tools to measure network effectiveness and outcomes. Gathering network members’ perspectives on their engagement with the network can provide insights and avenues for improvement.

· This article describes a network survey that was created for Lumina Foundation’s KnowHow2GO initiative, which focused on strengthening college access networks.

· The network survey measures five dimensions of effective networks: network management; sustainable service systems; data-driven decision making; policy and advocacy; and knowledge development and dissemination.

· The network survey provided useful information for the foundation, initiative partners, technicalassistance providers, network …

Book Review Of Focus On Sustainability: A Nonprofit’S Journey, Matthew Downey

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Designing For Learning: One Foundation’S Efforts To Institutionalize Organizational Learning, Rosanna Tran, Sanjay Shah

The Foundation Review

· This article explores the California HealthCare Foundation’s internal efforts, inspired in part by the process of design thinking, to institutionalize organizational learning.

· One outcome of this process has been a “grantmaking toolbox,” which represents an attempt to document new, effective, and innovative grantmaking tactics.

· While creating this toolbox, the foundation realized that the process of learning holds as much – if not more – value as the products of learning. Moreover, we gained three valuable insights that may be relevant for other foundations interested in advancing their learning efforts: effective learning is a collaborative, rather than an …

Book Review Of Practical Project Management For Agile Nonprofits: Approaches And Templates To Help You Manage With Limited Resources, Megan Murphy

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Implausible Injuries: Wal-Mart V. Dukes And The Future Of Class Actions And Employment Discrimination Cases, Marcia L. Mccormick

All Faculty Scholarship

In 2001, a class action suit was brought against Wal-Mart, where plaintiffs sought to certify a class of every woman who did work for the giant retailer or had worked for it since 1998, seeking relief related to promotion and pay policies. Plaintiffs alleged that they were all discriminated against on the basis of sex. The Supreme Court agreed with Wal-Mart, finding that the class did not meet requirements for class actions set by Rule 23. This article explores the reasoning behind the Supreme Court’s split decision that the class did not meet the commonality standard, which relied significantly on …

Preserving The Corporate Tax Base Through Tax Transparency, Henry Ordower

All Faculty Scholarship

International corporate tax competition continues to exert pressure on legislatures to reduce corporate tax rates as well as the rate imposed on shareholders. To combat this pressure, this commentary recommends eliminating the corporate income tax. Instead corporations should become tax transparent so that a full taxon corporate income is imposed on corporate owners but collected initially at corporate level through a required withholding tax at the maximum rate applicable to individuals. Contemporary data processing capacity enables corporations to track share ownership and report to shareholders amounts withheld on their behalf so that they may include their shares of corporate income …

The Corporate Income Tax: United States Of America Report, Henry Ordower

All Faculty Scholarship

In the context of a European project describing variations in the structure of the corporate income tax, this paper briefly describes the United States corporation income tax and contextualizes it within the broader category of business entity taxation. The paper identifies the various tax models that the United States uses for business entities and discusses the historical delinking of limited liability protection for owners and managers from traditional double taxation.

From Podcasts To Treasure Hunts— Using Technology To Promote Student Engagement, Marcia L. Mccormick

All Faculty Scholarship

Three influential calls for reform in legal education, the MacCrate Report, the Carnegie Report, and most recently the Stuckey Report, have all recommended that professors use teaching methods to provide greater opportunities for students to practice problem solving skills and receive feedback on their performance. Being a lawyer is much more than memorizing rules; students need to be able to understand the big picture and use the details to problem solve. This article details how to use audio and written podcast summaries to help students see the big picture in a subject and how each smaller topic fits together into …

Connectedness And The Sociopolitical Involvement Of Same-Gender-Loving Black Men, Juan Battle, Angelique Harris

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Employing a national sample of over 800 same-gender-loving black men, we explore the relative impact of community-level support/comfort and the importance of sexual orientation and racial identity on two dependent variables—sociopolitical involvement within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities and sociopolitical involvement within people of color (POC) communities. Findings indicate that feelings of connectedness to LBGT communities is the most important predictor of sociopolitical involvement within both LGBT and POC communities; while, counterintuitively, being comfortable within the LGBT community had a negative impact on the sociopolitical involvement of these men. Further, the impact of the importance of identity was …

Observations And Modeling Forcing Mechanisms For The Coastal Dynamics Of The Upper Gulf Of Thailand, Suriyan Saramul

OES Theses and Dissertations

A numerical model based on the Princeton Ocean Model (130M) with ∼1 km horizontal grid and 21 vertical layers has been used to study the influence of wind stresses, river discharges, surface heat fluxes and tides on the three-dimensional circulation of the upper Gulf of Thailand (UGOT). Analysis of observations, including sea level data, provided additional information to support the model simulations. The UGOT is a shallow coastal system, ∼1°×1° in size with the average depth of only 15 m. Sensitivity studies evaluate how the dynamics is affected by surface wind stresses, river discharges, and surface heat fluxes. The impact …

Structural And Functional Study Of Multidrug Membrane Transporters, Feng Ding

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Multidrug membrane transporters (efflux pumps) in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes are responsible for ineffective treatment of a wide variety of diseases, including infections and cancer, underscoring the importance of better understanding of their structures and functions for design of effective therapies. Despite extensive studies over decades, their underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this dissertation, we focus on the study of structures and functions of multidrug membrane transporters, including ATP-binding cassette transporter (BmrA) and Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division transporter (MexA,B-OprM) in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria ( Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), respectively. We fused EGFP with N-terminus and C-terminus of …

Analysis Of Gps Abnormal Conditions Within Fault Tolerant Control Laws, Gahssan Al-Sinbol

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Global Position System (GPS) is a critical element for the functionality of autonomous flying vehicles. The GPS operation at normal and abnormal conditions directly impacts the trajectory tracking performance of the autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) controllers. The effects of GPS parameter variation must be well understood and user-friendly computational tools must be developed to facilitate the design and evaluation of fault tolerant control laws.;This thesis presents the development of a simplified GPS error model in Matlab/Simulink and its use performing a sensitivity analysis of GPS parameters effect under system normal and abnormal operation on different UAV trajectory tracking …

The Association Of Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Biomarkers And Markers Of Inflammation, Diabetes Mellitus And Cardiovascular Disease, Omayma Alshaarawy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are potent atmospheric pollutants, released into air during incomplete combustion of fuel, industrial or domestic coal, wood, cigarette smoke and other organic materials. In addition to being carcinogenic, several animal studies have reported positive associations between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and inflammation, oxidative stress and the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Occupational studies have reported positive associations between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Moreover, there is evidence that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may cause disruption of the endocrine system. It is still not clear if lower background exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, independent of the adverse …

The Effects Of Student Behavior Alteration Techniques On Student Motives To Communicate, Student Talk, And Student Learning, Christopher J. Claus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation addressed the effects of students' perceived effectiveness of and likelihood to use student behavior alteration techniques (BATs) on students' motives to communicate with their instructors, student talk (i.e., willingness to talk, out-of-class communication), and student learning (i.e., cognitive learning, affective learning, state motivation, and student communication satisfaction). Results revealed that student perceived effectiveness of, and likelihood to use, student BATs did not influence, student talk or student learning, but indicated some significant relationships with the students' motives to communicate with their instructors. Specifically, the relational, functional, participatory, and sycophancy motives were generally related to the perceived likelihood to …

The Inhibition Of Splicing Of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Mrna During Starvation By Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K, Travis Cyphert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Splicing of nascent RNA transcripts is an essential step in gene expression and a target of nutrient regulation. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is a lipogenic gene whose expression is regulated exclusively at this posttranscriptional stage. Expression of G6PD mRNA increases 15- to 17-fold during refeeding and is inhibited 80-90% by starvation and the addition of polyunsaturated fat to the diet. The large changes in the accumulation of G6PD mRNA are due to changes the rate of pre-mRNA splicing and not changes in its transcription. In this regard, dietary carbohydrate enhances intron removal, which increases the accumulation of G6PD mRNA. Starvation alters …

Characterization Of Immune Responses To Repeated Aspergillus Fumigatus Exposures, Amanda Dawn Buskirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Personal exposures to A. fumigatus are associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes, including invasive aspergillosis, allergic sensitization, and asthma. Due to the high rate of mortality associated with invasive disease in immunocompromised patients, most studies of A. fumigatus have aimed to characterize the immune responses in immunocompromised murine models. However, a larger portion of the population is affected by fungal-induced allergies and asthma and the immune mechanisms associated with exposure have rarely been studied in an immunocompetent model. These models do not accurately reflect the natural method of exposure to environmental sources of conidia, and may significantly impact …

Finite Element Modeling Of Geosynthetic Soil Reinforcement Over Shallow Buried Pipes, Andrew L. Dietz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Buried pipes serve an important role in many engineering applications and are vital to the infrastructure of our everyday life. It is imperative that, once in place, these pipes last as long as possible to avoid failure and costly replacement. Advancements in technology and understanding of soil-pipe interactions can extend the service life of these pipes. In this study, a new approach is taken to increase buried pipe performance.;The purpose of this research work is to explore the potential improvements of pipe performance under surface loading by using a geosynthetic reinforcement in the soil layer above a buried pipe. Various …

Contact Lenses In Iris Recognition, Gizem Erdogan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent research in iris recognition has established the impact of non-cosmetic soft contact lenses on the recognition performance of iris matchers. Researchers in Notre Dame demonstrated an increase in False Reject Rate (FRR) when an iris without a contact lens was compared against the same iris with a transparent soft contact lens. Detecting the presence of a contact lens in ocular images can, therefore, be beneficial to iris recognition systems. This study proposes a method to automatically detect the presence of non-cosmetic soft contact lenses in ocular images of the eye acquired in the Near Infrared (NIR) spectrum. While cosmetic …

Connectivity And Spanning Trees Of Graphs, Xiaofeng Gu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation focuses on connectivity, edge connectivity and edge-disjoint spanning trees in graphs and hypergraphs from the following aspects.;1. Eigenvalue aspect. Let lambda2(G) and tau( G) denote the second largest eigenvalue and the maximum number of edge-disjoint spanning trees of a graph G, respectively. Motivated by a question of Seymour on the relationship between eigenvalues of a graph G and bounds of tau(G), Cioaba and Wong conjectured that for any integers d, k ≥ 2 and a d-regular graph G, if lambda 2(G)) < d -- 2k-1d+1 , then tau(G) ≥ k. They proved the conjecture for k = 2, 3, and presented evidence for the cases when k ≥ 4. We propose a more general conjecture that for a graph G with minimum degree delta ≥ 2 k ≥ 4, if lambda2(G) < delta -- 2k-1d+1 then tau(G) ≥ k. We prove the conjecture for k = 2, 3 and provide partial results for k ≥ 4. We also prove that for a graph G with minimum degree delta ≥ k ≥ 2, if lambda2( G) < delta -- 2k-1d +1 , then the edge connectivity is at least k. As corollaries, we investigate the Laplacian and signless Laplacian eigenvalue conditions on tau(G) and edge connectivity.;2. Network reliability aspect. With graphs considered as natural models for many network design problems, edge connectivity kappa'(G) and maximum number of edge-disjoint spanning trees tau(G) of a graph G have been used as measures for reliability and strength in communication networks modeled as graph G. Let kappa'(G) = max{lcub}kappa'(H) : H is a subgraph of G{rcub}. We present: (i) For each integer k > 0, a characterization for graphs G with the property that kappa'(G) ≤ k but for any additional …

Hybrid Projectile Body Angle Estimation For Selectable Range Increase, Christopher J. Gioia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A Hybrid Projectile (HP) is a tube launched munition that transforms into a gliding UAV, and is currently being researched at West Virginia University. A simple launch timer was first envisioned to control the transformation point in order to achieve maximum distance. However, this timer would need to be reprogrammed for any distance less than maximum range due to the nominal time to deployment varying with launch angle. A method was sought for automatic wing deployment that would not require reprogramming the round. A body angle estimation system was used to estimate the pitch of the HP relative to the …

Thrombelastography Parameters Versus Classical Coagulation Profile In Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Study, Abdulraouf Y. Lamoshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The West Virginia University Guide to the Preparation of Masters Theses Abdulraouf Y. Lamoshi Thrombelastography Parameters versus Classical Coagulation Profile in Trauma Patients: a Retrospective Study Background: Thrombelastography (TEGTM, Hemoscope, Niles, IL) is increasingly utilized. As TEG depicts overall coagulation it may be more comprehensive and capable to detect any coagulation abnormalities in comparison to classical coagulation tests (CCT: PT, PTT, INR, platelets). Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is thought to contribute to coagulopathy. The primary aim was to compare TEG parameters of TBI vs. Non-TBI patients. The secondary aim was to identify TEG vs. CCT parameters associated with outcome (mortality, …

Patterns Of Lung Cancer Care And Associated Health Outcomes Among Elderly Medicare Fee For Service Beneficiaries In West Virginia And In The United States, Pramit Amrutlal Nadpara

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The elderly carry a disproportionate burden of lung cancer in the US. Although significant improvements have been made during the past decade in cancer treatment, substantial disparities still exist in guideline-based lung cancer care and outcomes. Such variation in lung cancer care is a cause for major concern in rural areas like West Virginia (WV). The purpose of this study was to do a comprehensive evaluation of variations in lung cancer care and associated health outcomes in the elderly. This retrospective study was conducted using SEER-Medicare and WVCR--Medicare linked data files for the years 2002-2007. As part of the project, …

Selling 'Fracking': Legitimation Of High Speed Oil And Gas Extraction In The Marcellus Shale Region, Jacob R. Matz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The advent of horizontal hydraulic fracture drilling, or 'fracking,' a technology used to access oil and natural gas deposits, has allowed for the extraction of deep, unconventional shale gas and oil deposits in various shale seams throughout the United States and world. One such shale seam, the Marcellus shale, extends from New York State, across Pennsylvania, and throughout West Virginia, where shale gas development has significantly increased within the last decade. This boom has created a massive amount of economic activity surrounding the energy industry, creating jobs for workers, income from leases and royalties for landowners, and profits for energy …

The Diabetic Heart: Examination Of The Inner Mitochondrial Membrane, Tara Lyne Slider Croston

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiovascular complications, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy, are the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. The hyperglycemic environment associated with diabetes mellitus has been shown to induce the mitochondrial dysfunction contributing to diabetic cardiomyopathy. The examination of mitochondrial function is further complicated by the existence of two spatially and functionally distinct cardiac mitochondrial subpopulations, the subsarcolemmal (SSM) interfibrillar (IFM) mitochondria. These two pools of mitochondria respond differently to pathologic stimuli, such as diabetes mellitus. Targeted by the deleterious effects of diabetes mellitus, the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is composed of a specific lipid environment that houses …

Phase Transformations Of Microcrystalline Cellulose Under Ball-Milling And Hydrothermal Treatment, Sai Kishore Pyapalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, experimental results and their analysis are presented on the phase transformations of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) under two different treatments. First, MCC was subjected to ball milling in air for different times tBMi = 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 120 minutes. Second, phase transformation of MCC under hydrothermal treatment (HTT) in distilled water using an autoclave was investigated by varying the pressure P, temperature T for different time tau. Both of the post treated samples were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, surface area measurements, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermo-gravimetric Analysis …

Temporal Expression Of Key Angioregulatory Proteins In Response To Exercise And Detraining, Sara A. Olenich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Angiogenesis is an important adaptation to exercise, occurring in response to a multitude of different stimuli including: shear stress, mechanical stretch, ischemia, electrical stimulation, and exercise. Current thinking suggests skeletal muscle angiogenesis is a temporal process controlled by a balance between positive and negative angiogenic proteins. But there is limited information on what molecular mediators control skeletal muscle angiogenesis in this time line, creating a critical need to clarify how individual protein responses regulate physiologic skeletal muscle angiogenesis in response to exercise training and/or physical deconditioning. Our objective is to characterize the temporal expression of several key positive (VEGF, MMP-2, …

Adaptation Of Temporal Control To Unpredictable Mid-Session Changes In A Rapid-Acquisition Multiple Peak-Interval Procedure, Nathaniel Rice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The temporal arrangement of events is important in laboratory and real-world settings. Many real-world scenarios are highly dynamic and not reflected by the steady-state nature of experiments often conducted in laboratory settings. To address the dynamic nature of the environment, four pigeons responded on a rapid-acquisition multiple peak-interval schedule. Peak-interval trials, extinction trials that are extended and deliver no reinforcement, were interspersed with fixed-interval trials in a two-component multiple schedule. The interval for each component changed mid-session every session. There were two conditions: an Unsignaled condition where the intervals were changed mid-session without any accompanying stimulus change and a Signaled …

Predicting Deer Hunting Participation Using Theory Of Planned Behavior And Constraint Integrated Theory Of Planned Behavior Models: A Study Of Oregon Big Game Hunters, Suresh Kumar Shrestha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Studies have established that the theory of planned behavior (TPB) is a simple but effective model for providing theoretical explanation as to why people participate in a given recreation activity, including general hunting activity. Understanding leisure constraints is another popular approach in leisure research, which is considered more useful from the practitioners' point of view. Literature suggested that significant relationships exist between constraint dimensions and constructs of theory of planned behavior. It was assumed that integrating constraints to TPB might not only enhance the predicting power of the TPB but might also provide a practical dimension to it. The aims …